PR: Estee Lauder’s “Return to Origins” Campaign (Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York)

Earth Day celebrates its 39th anniversary today and many companies are using this special day to kick off their green marketing program initiatives. Many companies go green for this month seeing that popular trends show that “green companies” often perform better, especially in an economic downturn. Luxury cosmetics, fragrance and personal care items have long presented a problem for recycling-- and the process is not just tossing a bottle in the recycling bin.

In honor of this month and to get back to their “green roots,” Estee Lauder is promoting their new “Return to Origins” package recycling program. This program promotes the disposal of cosmetic packaging such as lipgloss containers and moisturizer jars that are routinely tossed in the garbage bin resulting in pileups on waste in landfills (let's face it we all do it, where else would we put our empty shampoo bottles?) Estee Lauder's Origins brand is accepting all empty cosmetic tubes, bottles and jars, regardless of who manufactured them, at any Origins stand-alone or department store. All returned packaging will then be sent to a recycling center where they will either be used for energy recovery or recycled into new materials.

Estee Lauder hosted a horde of local celebrities bringing their used cosmetic containers to be recycled and was hosted by Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl). According to BRANDWEEK, the New York press conference alone resulted in consumers dropping off 293 pounds of empty cosmetic jars and palettes! Talk about a successfully green campaign.

In inspiration of Estee Lauders efforts, I have been working toward going green and being more earth-friendly and since April is Earth Month, I thought I’d share some of the ways to try and make your business more environmentally conscious:

• Avoid printing whenever necessary and print double-sided when you do have to print.

• Use energy settings on laptops and monitors.

• Donate your green promotional products to a variety of organizations or groups.

• Encourage your employees and customers to recycle, even encourage the media to visit during your recycling efforts.

• Car pool with your co-workers.

• Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs (it may even pay to install solar panels.) The quickest thing you can do is to switch to low-energy use light bulbs.

• Refill computer ink cartridges rather than add them to the landfill.

• Conduct more of your business online.

• Use chlorine-free post-consumer recycled paper

What are you doing to be more environmentally friendly?